WiiWare News
Competition chick chick BOOM (All PAL Regions)
Win one of 10 copies and personalised artwork!
chick chick BOOM is a tactical action game for WiiWare from developer tons of bits. With a unique sense of humour, great artwork and plenty of action, it gained an impressive 8/10 in our review last week, and now we've teamed up with tons of bits to bring you a very special competition. We're offering...
Nintendo Download 8th November 2010 (North America)
No demos here
Whilst Europe welcomed the return of WiiWare demos last week, there's no such luck for North American gamers, who are demo-less for at least one more week. There's still a decent mix however with five games in total, if you could call Discolight a game. WiiWare: Gods vs. Humans (Zallag, 1200pts) – This deity-based strategy game...
Genetics has never been so dull
Have you ever dreamed about being a mad scientist? Well, how about being a disappointed gamer? The recent release of Gene Labs on WiiWare will finally give you the chance to feel a little bit of both. Just like its DSiWare counterpart which was also released this week, this self-proclaimed “arcade puzzle game”...
News Gothic Action Heads to WiiWare in Ark of Sinners
Like Castlevania, only Spanish
Here's a WiiWare game you can sink your teeth into: Ark of Sinners is a Castlevania-style 2D romp, mixing classic gameplay with modern graphics. Played with the Wii Remote held NES-style, with 1 button to attack and 2 to jump, there'll be multiple moves, combos and even special air combos too. The first part of a...
Review chick chick BOOM (WiiWare)
Bursting with goodness
Most people may not know it, but this little game has a bit of history behind it. Around Christmas of 2006, Nintendo of Europe launched a website with a Christmas-themed platform game that could only be played for a limited amount of time. It was quite well liked, so a few months later, developer tons of bits created another...
News Digital Leisure's Mix Superstar Decks WiiWare on Monday
Get musical for 500 Points
Whilst DSiWare enjoys a fine array of musical downloads, including Rytmik, Rhythm Core Alpha and Abylight's Music On series, but WiiWare is completely devoid of tuneful tools. Not for long however, as Digital Leisure is bringing Mix Superstar to the wheels of steel on Monday. Unlike those DS games, however, Mix Superstar...
News WiiWare Gets Second Round of Heavy Fire with Black Arms
Shooter follow-up inbound
We may not have been completely blown away by wartime shooter Heavy Fire: Special Operations, but it obviously did the business for Teyon as the Polish publisher has announced it's bringing sequel Heavy Fire: Black Arms to WiiWare in the near future. There's no doubt the game looks graphically impressive, as evident in the...
News Frontier Preparing to Blow You Away With More LostWinds
Good news, everyone
LostWinds and its sequel, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, have been two of WiiWare's most notable hits, so it's good to hear that David Braben's Frontier team is preparing to release more titles in the series Braben confirmed to Eurogamer that the series was "far from done and dusted", saying: There are still many...
News Cosmonaut's Inkub Nearly Ready to Brush with WiiWare
Strategy-action game on the way
Cosmonaut Games is most well known for its deeply relaxing Dive: The Medes Islands Secret, but its next WiiWare project has nearly finished incubating and will be hatching soon. Called Inkub, it's an action-strategy game with a great premise: In a strange and distant world you will have to lead a bionic vegetative...
News Super Meat Boy May Skip WiiWare and Head to Retail
Would you buy it on disc for $20?
The ongoing struggles of Super Meat Boy's WiiWare existence are well-documented, but here's a quick recap. Originally available on PC, the game was slated to be a WiiWare-exclusive on consoles before announced as heading to Xbox Live Arcade, where it landed several weeks ago. Just the other day Team Meat announced...
Nintendo Download 5th November 2010 (Europe)
Bonfire Night goes with a bang
As well as the revelation that four WiiWare demos will launch across Europe this week, we also have brand new games for DSiWare and WiiWare as well. WiiWare: ThruSpace (Nintendo, 800pts) – A Nintendo-published puzzle game, this is the first ever WiiWare game to launch with a free playable demo. It's been out in...
News WiiWare Demos Launch This Week with Four New Downloads
Exclusive to Europe for now
Last night we brought you the exclusive news that Nintendo is bringing back WiiWare demos, and now we can reveal that they will return to Europe this Friday. The previous demo offering was only a trial, but now Nintendo has pledged that this new service will provide "ongoing" demos, hopefully extending the...
Exclusive Nintendo Bringing Back WiiWare Demos
Updated: Nintendo confirms return
Last November Nintendo ran a brief trial of WiiWare demos, offering free trials to Wii Shop Channel users, but the service ended at the end of January. Now Nintendo Life can exclusively reveal that demos will be returning to the Wii Shop Channel in the near future. We've spoken to several WiiWare developers who have...
Nintendo Download 1st November 2010 (North America)
Robot boxes, genetic manipulation, super-powered babies and men dunking balls
If your trick-or-treat bag didn't have a Nintendo Points Card by the end of the night, well, you might want to look into buying a couple packages of toilet paper and retracing your steps. Just sayin'. WiiWare: Robox (DreamBox Games, 1000 Points) — A gorgeous...
News La-Mulana Finished, Submitted and "Out This Year"
Bish bash bosh
The long and arduous wait for La-Mulana will soon be over: the game is complete and has just been submitted to Nintendo for approval, as revealed on the La-Mulana developer blog. The blog states that if the game passes the inspection with no difficulties it'll receive a release date, but the team seems confident that it will see a...
News Super Meat Boy Will Miss November Launch Window
Game proving tricky to tenderise below 40MB
Team Meat's bloody platformer Super Meat Boy has well and truly caught gamers' attention, stacking up rave reviews and selling well on its Xbox Live Arcade debut. Sadly the studio has just announced the game won't launch on WiiWare in November as originally proposed: attention internets, the wii version...
News Last Flight Gameplay Footage Lands at Long Last
Mythical WiiWare game appears
In development for years, Last Flight has been rather quiet of late, but Bloober Team has just been in touch to send over the latest gameplay footage and promotional artwork for the game with a short update on its status. The team is seemingly well aware of its game's reputation, judging from this cheeky portion of the...
News Here's 10 Minutes of Retro City Rampage Gameplay and Music
Download free bleep-bloops from the game written by Shantae, NBA Jam, NES death metal composers
If these soundtrack samples and new video for Retro City Rampage are anything to go by, it would seem that Vblank is barring no holds for what certainly is one of the most ambitious games yet for WiiWare. Vblank snuck us over a new ten-song soundtrack...
Review My Starry Night (WiiWare)
Star quality
Hudson's My Starry Night (or My Planetarium in North America) is very much the celestial cousin to their earlier WiiWare effort My Aquarium. It’s surprisingly informative, moderately entertaining and at a low enough price that it might entice you to take a trip through the heavens. The game contains three modes: Observation, Celestial...
Nintendo Download 29th October 2010 (Europe)
Fishing, lasers, chicks, sleep and more
God bless the Nintendo download for bringing us another bounty of bizarre treats. If there isn't anything that tickles your fancy this week, we'd be very surprised. WiiWare: Reel Fishing Challenge II (Natsume, 500pts) – The follow-up to – you guessed it – Reel Fishing Challenge, this is a virtual...
News Telltale's Back to the Future Not Coming to Wii
Neither disc nor download planned
We've been keeping you up to date with the development videos of Telltale's Back to the Future games, but a recent press release got us worried when it omitted Wii as a platform. We contacted Telltale and just received word that will upset many Wii-owning fans of Marty McFly's adventures. Alan Johnson, Telltale's...
News Zoonami: Nintendo Not Generating Enough Interest in Downloads
Bonsai Barber studio disappointed
Martin Hollis was director and producer on N64 shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, but in more recent times his Zoonami studio created WiiWare hit Bonsai Barber, published by Nintendo. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Hollis speaks out about the support received from Nintendo, the service's fine...
News How Telltale Games Approached Back to the Future: Episode I
Behind-the-scenes part III talks discusses new narrative ideas
Telltale Games is continuing the release of its behind-the-scenes videos on the upcoming Back to the Future series for WiiWare and the latest talks about how the production team stays true to the franchise yet strive to offer something that people who have yet to see the films will still...
Review BIT.TRIP FATE (WiiWare)
You can't fight fate
If we've learned anything from the BIT.TRIP series, it's that you don't need a lot of flashy visuals or complicated mechanics to make a great game. The unique combination of old school arcade elements blended together with a host of musical rhythm overtones have given the series a look and feel all its own and made the titles...
Nintendo Download 25th October 2010 (North America)
Meet your FATE!
October has been a good month for fans of downloadable games, with Shantae: Risky's Revenge, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and now BIT.TRIP FATE to round out the month with a bang. WiiWare: BIT.TRIP FATE (Aksys Games, 800pts) – The fifth BIT.TRIP title takes on another new genre: the shoot 'em up. With more of the same...
Review Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas (WiiWare)
Racers' Islands is back to drive you mad
Crazy Arenas is the second in the Racers’ Island series of WiiWare games, and this time around, it takes the form of five multiplayer battle mini-games for you to compete in with your friends and enemies. Even the most cold-hearted person, however, wouldn’t wish this much tedium on another human being...
News Meet the New Voice of Marty McFly
Hello, butthead!
Telltale's Back to the Future game has the likenesses of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, but only the latter was able to lend his voice to the game too. The second behind-the-scenes documentary from Telltale explains how the company came to recast the role of Marty McFly. Well, sort of: it introduces you to the voice actor AJ...
News Go Behind the Scenes with Back to the Future: Episode I
Part one of the making of Episode I
Telltale's Back to the Future game captured the imagination as soon as it was announced, and now we have the first behind the scenes footage to reveal concept art, character models and a little bit about the game's plot. This is just the first part of a series of behind the scenes videos, with the promise of...
A charming little hole in the wall
WiiWare is no stranger to the puzzle genre, offering up classic experiences like Tetris Party and Dr. Mario alongside more unconventional titles like the Art Style series. Nintendo's latest title, ThruSpace, hopes to try something new to stand out in the sizable crowd. How does it do it? By combining the shape...
News chick chick BOOM Blows Up WiiWare Next Week
Costs 800 Points
It looks like chick chick BOOM is just about ready to hatch, as developer tons of bits has announced the game will take flight on WiiWare next Friday, October 29th, for 800 Points. To celebrate the announcement, there's a brand new trailer showing off the game's ship environment including a giant enemy crab, making it a winner in...
News Soccer Up! Revives Arcade Football for WiiWare
Like Sensible Soccer, but with Miis
There's a real shortage of sports games on WiiWare, or quality ones at least, but the real surprise is that there's not a single soccer game available on the service so far. EnjoyUp wants to change that, with its upcoming Soccer Up! bringing fast-paced football to the service for the first time. Formerly known as...
Nintendo Download 22nd October 2010 (Europe)
Nice and early this week
Europe comes through with a bumper crop of downloadable delights for release this Friday. Shall we see what they are? WiiWare: My Starry Night (Hudson, 500pts) – Known as My Planetarium in North America, this is essentially My Aquarium for stargazers, with around 20,000 stars, planets, asteroids and more for your...
Review Miffy's World (WiiWare)
Bunny business
Some of you may already be familiar with Miffy. Originally starting off as a children's book by Dutch author Dick Bruna in 1955, the story is based around the small, female rabbit called Miffy and has since spawned a very successful children's series of books and cartoons. So, in a similar fashion to The Very Hungry Caterpillar's...
News Broken Rules Feels Let Down by Nintendo's Online Strategy
Co-founder Felix Bohatsch explains the issues he has with the Wii Shop Channel
Let's face facts: Nintendo could have implemented a more robust online service for the Wii. If not only for the gamers, then at least for developers and itself. Ironically, limitations are probably what encourages alternative gaming concepts but no one wants to work with...
Features NES Homebrew Is Where The Heart Is
How two indie developers are keeping the system kicking after all these years
It’s nigh impossible to overstate the importance of the Nintendo Entertainment System in video game history: its popularity pretty much single-handedly revived the home game console market in the US, which had crashed a few years before the NES’s October 18th, 1985...
Interviews Frozen Codebase - Jam City Rollergirls
Jammers, blue shells and water bombs - welcome to roller derby
Some games have thrilling stories of inspiration: a childhood nightmare overcome, fresh eyes on a new hobby. Jam City Rollergirls does not have quite such noble origins: it's the offspring of the fast-paced sport of roller derby and lots of drinking. We chatted to developer Frozen...
Nintendo Download 18th October 2010 (North America)
Happy holidays and mystic quests
The past two weeks have seen high profile downloadable releases in both shapely and spiny forms, so whilst this week lacks a true flagship title it does offer two new Nintendo-published titles and the scheduled Virtual Console download. WiiWare: ThruSpace (Nintendo, 800pts) – Formerly known as the far more...
News Jam City Rollergirls Screens and Video Skate In
WiiWare gets physical
Jam City Rollergirls could be one of WiiWare's biggest breakout hits: roller derby has a fanatical, rapidly expanding fanbase, and the revelation of this WiiWare roller derby title generated plenty of interest outside the usual download audience. Now we have the first screenshots and footage of the game in action, that interest...
More Impressions Super Meat Boy
A game with a lot of Meat on its bone!
For anyone that's followed the independent gaming scene over the years, you know all too well how much talent and creativity many of these games feature. And now with digital download services like Nintendo's WiiWare and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, many of these indie developers are finally getting the chance...
Nintendo Download 15th October (Europe)
Sonic returns, and brings some other stuff
As was previously announced, today sees the anticipated European release of the first episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It's accompanied by the next titles in the GO and Music On series, as well as some other stuff. Unfortunately, there's no Virtual Console game, but that's to be expected now! DSiWare: GO...
News Cave Story Update Now Available
Bugs in WiiWare platformer have been zapped
Owners of Cave Story might remember that the game had a few minor glitches in its original release, but the nice folks at Nicalis have addressed these issues and the game can now be updated via the Wii Shop Channel. Some of the issues addressed are: Menu screen cleaned up: No longer "glitchy rotating...
News Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas Takes Aim at WiiWare Next Week
Zallag's driving follow-up on the way
Okay, so Racers' Island: Crazy Racers didn't quite live up to our expectations, but next week sees combative successor Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas swerve to Europe for a more reasonable 800 Points. Essentially transplanting the game's drive-and-shoot gameplay to an arena setting, it still supports 8 player...
News BIT.TRIP FATE Coming October 25th
CommanderVideo fires up for fifth entry in the series
The nice folks at Gaijin Games have just announced that their fifth entry in the popular BIT.TRIP series BIT.TRIP FATE will be hitting the North American WiiWare service on October 25th and will only set you back a paltry 800 Wii Points. "BIT.TRIP FATE is like the Empire Strikes Back of the...
News Enter Miffy's World for 1000 Points this Friday
Cute little bunny gives WiiWare a hug
That lovable white bunny Miffy is about to give us a glimpse into what life's like as an adorable children's character when Miffy's World comes to WiiWare this Friday for 1000 Nintendo Points. Players control Miffy, of course, undertaking a range of errands including delivering party invitations, building a bird...
News Stand Back, This chick chick BOOM Video is About to Go Off
Duck and cover
chick chick BOOM is notable for two things: one, a fast-and-loose approach to capital letters, and secondly for offering the cutest virtual chicks this side of Sexy Poker. Developer tons of bits has just sent over the first gameplay video that shows off the intriguing turns-based battle system in action. Taking a few cues from Worms,...
Review Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (WiiWare)
After 15 years, 16-bit is back
The drums are perfect. That's the second thing you notice about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, right after Sonic runs past the Sega logo to the classic 16-bit "Say-gah!" sample. Anyone who's ever played a Sonic game will start to smile: it's off to a perfect start. That start builds momentum quickly. Splash...
Review Triple Jumping Sports (WiiWare)
Jumping? In a video game?! Now we've seen everything!
Wading in to review this third entry in an already less than impressive series, it's fair to say that our expectations were not very high. Therefore it could be seen as some kind of accomplishment that Triple Jumping Sports still managed to not live up to them. If you've played either of the...
Competition Winners Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts T-Shirt
Drum roll please...
Last month, we ran a competition to give away ten t-shirts decked out with logos from the WiiWare title Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts. We all like to look stylish and show our love for video games and dangerous lawn-related activities of days past, but only ten could win the XL-sized prizes. Those ten lucky users are: melvin2898
Nintendo Download 11th October 2010 (North America)
Sonic the Hedgehog returns!
A good array of titles this week, with the 2D return of Sonic the Hedgehog taking top billing of course. DSiWare fans can get a pinch of Sonic creator Yuji Naka's latest platforming adventure, Ivy the Kiwi?, but there's also sports and puzzle games if platforming isn't your thing. Let's do it to it! WiiWare: Sonic the...
Review Learning with the PooYoos - Episode 3 (WiiWare)
You can never have too many PooYoos!
Because two episodes of Learning with the PooYoos just weren't enough, Lexis Numerique has finally released the highly anticipated third entry in the series. Retaining all of its colourful and engaging charm, Learning with the Pooyoos: Episode 3 is a welcome addition to the series. Though the fan base consists...
Nintendo Download 12th and 13th October 2010 (Japan)
WiiWare and DSiWare together again
It looks like the heady days of surprise Japanese Virtual Console releases are well and truly behind us as there's only one VC release scheduled for the rest of the month and it's not happening next week. Instead there's a pair of WiiWare titles, which were starting to get as rare as hen's teeth. DSiWare is sparse...
Nintendo Download 8th October 2010 (Europe)
Three for DSiWare, one each on WiiWare and VC
In an unexpected turn of events, the press release for this week's European Nintendo Download turned up early, but who's complaining? Well, anyone hoping to grapple with Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Cave Story, but at least next week sees the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, so there's a...
Review Gods vs. Humans (WiiWare)
Nobody wins?
So far, games priced at 1500 Wii Points have either been at the top or at the bottom of the spectrum; none of them have been anywhere in between. The fifth title to receive this price tag, Gods vs. Humans, might be the first game to fill in that empty space. One of the few strategy games on WiiWare, the title says it all. The humans are...
News Aya and the Cubes of Light Gets Speed Boost
Leads to slight delay
The first footage of upcoming WiiWare puzzler Aya and the Cubes of Light drew criticism from some readers due to its slow pacing, and developer Object Vision noticed. The outcome? The game will receive a speed increase, among other improvements. It also looks likely that the game will feature mid-level checkpoints in response...
Interviews Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
We chat about the hedgehog's 2D return
It's nearly here: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is released on WiiWare in North America on October 11th, with a European release following on Friday October 15th. With the game now finished and so very nearly here, we caught up with Ken Balough, Digital Brand Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, to...
News Bit.Trip FATE Soundtrack Available For Sale Before the Actual Game
Full game aiming for Oct. 18 release in North America, says Gaijin
Sometimes, it seems, waiting is difficult. Like waiting for the next entry in a favourite game series. After the last time we parted ways with CommanderVideo in Gaijin Games' phenomenal Bit.Trip RUNNER, the return of the Atarified hero in Bit.Trip FATE seems like it can't come soon...
Podcast NLFM Episode 9: Halloween Hootenanny
You don't need to be the master of unlocking to access these horror treasures
Boo! It's a regular fright fest in this episode of NLFM as we queue up some of our favorite horror game tracks. BEHOLD! the wonders of mad science gone wrong! GASP! at the children of the night! WONDER! how Chuck D. Head doesn't need more painkillers! RUN! from the...
Nintendo Download 4th October 2010 (North America)
Shantae arrives!
No messing around this week, let's get straight to the good stuff. DSiWare: Shantae: Risky's Revenge (WayForward, 1200pts) – The genial genie finally returns in this highly anticipated release. The price point may seem steep, but WayForward assures us this one is packed with enough content to keep you going for ages. Our full...
Review Astro Bugz Revenge (WiiWare)
Revenge is sweet
It's a tale that's old as time: a puzzle game is released that requires you to match up three of the same colour in order to clear the screen and advance through levels. It is inevitably compared to Bubble Bobble and Bejeweled, and usually labelled as a clone of one or the other. Astro Bugz Revenge can safely be added to the list of...
Review Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts (WiiWare)
Flying Wii Remotes: less likely to cause injury than flying lawn darts
A sequel to Target Toss Pro: Bags, released on WiiWare in 2008, Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts brings the same style of play to a different variety of games, this time using lawn darts. We thought the previous release was good but needed some work – did Incredible Technologies hit...
News Racers' Island: Crazy Racers Racing Crazily to North America on Monday
1000 Points stateside
Whilst Zallag released Gods vs. Humans to European WiiWare fans today, next Monday sees its first title, Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers reaching North America. At 1000 Points it's 200 Points cheaper than its European counterpart, but still boasts the same mixture of racers, islands and craziness. You can read our Racers' Island:...
Nintendo Download 1st October (Europe)
Plenty of PooYoos, Petz, Gods and Humans
Hopefully the exciting news about upcoming Virtual Console releases for Europe will be enough to satisfy retro fans for now, while this week there's two WiiWare and three DSiWare titles to quench your thirst. WiiWare: Gods vs. Humans (1500pts, Zallag) – We've been looking forward to this comical strategic...
Should you square off with this?
From the first screens released, developer Dreambox Games’s first WiiWare title looked set for stardom. Robox is a 2D side-scrolling platforming adventure that has a beguiling beauty, utilising an art style that's full of character and reminiscent of the pages of classic children’s books like Where the Wild...
News Download the Soundtrack for Dive: The Medes Islands Secret
For free, of course
Dive: The Medes Islands Secret is one of the better games to have arrived on WiiWare so far this year: a submarine blend of exploration and action, it's sold well enough for Cosmonaut Games to want to say thank you with the release of the game's complete soundtrack. Composed and remastered by El Topo Negro, it includes 11 tracks...
News Nicalis Wants You to Know Cave Story DSiWare Music is Perfect
Upcoming update for WiiWare too
Cave Story was a much anticipated WiiWare release – of course, European gamers are still much anticipating its eventual release – but the forthcoming Cave Story DSiWare is beginning to mimic its big screen predecessor in terms of generating excitement. Some gamers will be hoping it doesn't copy some of its...
News 3DS To Get Revamped Online Shop
Better interface, faster menus and a new Virtual Console
Nintendo's Wii Shop Channel and DSiWare Shop may have some great games on them, but browsing the services for content could be a bit easier. Unless you go in there knowing what you want, finding something new and interesting can be a bit cumbersome, as sifting through menu after menu can take...
News Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Races to WiiWare on October 11th
WiiWare gets it before XBLA and PSN
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode One will come to WiiWare on Monday October 11th with a European release to follow on Friday October 15th. The game will cost 1500 Points, as previously claimed by Nintendo Power. WiiWare will also receive the game before Xbox 360 and PS3 owners, if only by a matter of days. Our...
Nintendo Download 27th September (North America)
Two each for WiiWare and DSiWare
This week's release schedule is as varied as usual, taking in potentially fatal sports games to cerebral puzzlers, with two games apiece for WiiWare and DSiWare and the expected break from Virtual Console. WiiWare: Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts (700pts, Incredible Technologies) – The follow-up to Target Toss Pro:...
News Nintendo Power Claims Sonic 4: Episode 1 Will Cost 1500 Points
High price for hedgehog heaven
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is one of WiiWare's most anticipated games, either because of or despite the claims it will bring Sonic back to his glory days, depending on your point of view. Flagship WiiWare titles don't come cheap however, and the latest issue of Nintendo Power claims Sonic's next outing will set...
News My Planetarium Trailer and Screenshots Look Stellar
All in Japanese, though
The ESRB outed My Planetarium a month or so ago, and now the Japanese website has been updated with the first screenshots and trailer of Hudson's upcoming gaze 'em up. With three different modes allowing you to view the night sky freely, learn about the history of constellations and search for particular clusters, nebulae and...
Review Triple Throwing Sports (WiiWare)
It’s not hammer time and it never will be
Please have your Wii Remote and Nunchuk handy. You’ll need them to read this review. Ready? Okay, first, begin by spinning the Nunchuk around in a circular motion. Any direction will do, just spin it really fast, then faster still. Then, when the time is right, press the B button. Are you with us so far?...
Nintendo Download 28th & 29th September 2010 (Japan)
Two each for Wii and DSi next week
Could predictions of the death of WiiWare in Japan have been premature? It appears so as there's two new titles coming next week, both from 3rd parties. Import gaming fantatics should reign in their excitement, however as both appear to be "lifestyle" apps rather than games. The DSi offerings are unlikely...
Nintendo Download 24th September (Europe)
More Final Fantasy, robotic boxes, and more
After two Virtual Console-less weeks, the service returns with a bang with another title from Square Enix. It might not be one of the most fondly remembered games they've made, but the more the merrier! It's accompanied by a few interesting WiiWare and DSiWare titles. WiiWare: Robox (1000pts, Dreambox...
Review The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs (WiiWare)
Often imitated but never duplicated
Everyone knows that caterpillars are excellent at education by munching, mostly because of the work of Eric Carle. 30 million copies of his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar have been sold worldwide since its release in 1969. Now, the distinct artwork and simple teaching style of the classic come to WiiWare in the...
News Watch Out for Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts Next Monday
From the makers of Target Toss Pro: Bags
The Wii has played host to countless sports games since the days of Wii Sports, with everything from cricket to compendiums, but WiiWare's about to receive one of the more unusual sporting outings in the form of Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts. From Incredible Technologies, the team behind Target Toss Pro: Bags,...
News La-Mulana Tokyo Game Show Trailer
New footage for you to check out
We haven't heard a lot of news lately on the upcoming WiiWare title from Nicalis La-Mulana, but a brand new trailer was recently unveiled for the Tokyo Game Show and it features some amazing footage of the game in action. As you can see from the new trailer, the game is shaping up quite well and looks fantastic...
News Spot the Differences Marking Its WiiWare Release Very Soon
Sanuk's latest puzzle game will have you paying close attention
There are certain games that transcend language barriers and Sanuk Games tapped into one particular example when it launched Spot the Differences! on the Sony PSP and PS3, and then later on the Apple Apps Store. With the success it has enjoyed across the platforms, the developer has...
News You Can Stop Waiting for Worms: Battle Islands on WiiWare Now
It's coming out on disc instead
It's been a long old time since we last heard anything about Worms: Battle Islands but we were expecting it to launch on WiiWare this month. Sadly, the downloadable service just got a little duller, as THQ has announced the game is on its way to Wii as a retail release. The game is now scheduled to release in...
Interviews Brian Provinciano - Retro City Rampage
Vblank Entertainment's open-world game looks set to hijack your 8-bit heart
Grand Theftendo may have started out as a pet project of Vblank Entertainment's Brian Provinciano, but eight years later it's turned into one of the most intriguing games slated to hit WiiWare in the form of Retro City Rampage. The novelty of an 8-bit open-world game was...
News New Robox Trailer as Game Launches this Friday
1,000 Points for mechanical marvel
Dreambox Games has been hard at work on Robox, polishing the little robotic box for his big debut, and that date is fast approaching. The game launches across Europe this Friday, September 24th, for 1,000 Nintendo Points. To celebrate, Dreambox has released a new trailer showing off some more of the game's...
Nintendo Download 20th September 2010 (North America)
Throwing and Caterpillars on WiiWare; Aero 2 on VC; Soccer, Go Series and Countdown on DSiWare
The world of Nintendo Downloads is often surprising, even for aficionados such as ourselves. Sometimes a long-awaited title appears; others come from out of the blue. Enjoy this week's line-up. WiiWare: Triple Throwing Sports (Code Monkeys, 500pts) – The...
First Impressions Surinuke Anatōsu
Thrill-seeking for puzzler fans
One doesn't often think of thrills and puzzles as belonging in the same sentence. You can get a bit of excitement from kicking off a combo in a fast-paced game, but to actually get a rush in the same sense as riding a rollercoaster is something else entirely. Whilst it might be an exaggeration to say Surinuke Anatōsu...
News Expect La Mulana to be Really, Really Hard
No Easy Mode in sight
La Mulana is coming to WiiWare – yes, we promise – with improved graphics but no alterations made to the game's notorious difficulty level. Designer Takumi Naramura has said there'll be no Easy Mode in the game, for one very simple reason: We made the game difficult so players can die. According to Naramura, it can take up...
News Airport Mania: First Flight Approaches the Runway with a Trailer
Take an eagle-eyed look at the new WiiWare air traffic control game
If you enjoyed playing Firemint's Flight Control, then you might want to take note of the upcoming WiiWare title Airport Mania: First Flight and check out the first trailer for the air traffic control game from Reflexive Entertainment and South Winds Games. Originally published on...
Competition Monsteca Corral Competition Winners
Drumroll please...
Last week we ran a cheeky little competition to let 10 lucky Euro/Aussie readers win a copy of A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs. Robots on WiiWare. Everyone likes a freebie, and competition here was fierce. We had 199 entries! However only 10 could win, so we punched the button on the magical Nintendo Life bingo machine and can now...
Nintendo Download 17th September (Europe)
Not a whole lot of excitement
Nintendo of Europe has chosen not to release a Virtual Console game, instead giving you the choice of several games that will likely not appeal to many hardcore gamers out there. You have been warned! WiiWare: Adventure on LOST ISLAND - Hidden Object Game (Ateam Inc., 500 Points) — More similar to "Aha! I Found...
Review Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game (WiiWare)
Short and sugary sweet
Playing Adventure on Lost Island: Hidden Object Game is a lot like eating a doughnut – it looks good, is very sweet and the experience feels nice. Before you know it, though, it's gone. ATeam definitely had a young audience in mind when making this game, with its winsome tone, brightly coloured graphics and simple gameplay,...
News Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time Our New Favourite Game Title Ever
Chronological WiiWare puzzle adventure on the way
This truly is a golden age of time-travelling WiiWare adventures. Not only is Back to the Future set to grace the service soon, Stickmen Studios has just announced its new title, the gloriously named Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time A side-scrolling adventure puzzle game with a promising...
Review PHYSIO FUN Balance Training (WiiWare)
A good step in the right direction
Though most of the focus on the Wii's motion-based controls has been on their impact in gaming, what is more radical about Nintendo's approach with both the Wii and DS has been its success at positioning game systems as more than simply entertainment devices. Wii Fit stands as the biggest success story in this...
Review Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers (WiiWare)
Crazy? More like lazy
It’s relatively easy to guess what a game titled Racers’ Islands: Crazy Racers might be about. If you said "a crazy racing game in which you race across some islands," you’d be correct – assuming that by "crazy" you meant "rubbish." The aim was obviously to capture the hearts of the...
Nintendo Download 13 September 2010 (North America)
Find, conquer, scribble and flip this week
Got 500 WiiWare or DSiWare Points burning a hole in your digital wallet? Perhaps one of this week's Nintendo Download releases will help you put out that fire. WiiWare: Adventure on LOST ISLAND - Hidden Object Game (Ateam Inc., 500 Points) — Another find-fest brought to you by Ateam, the folks behind the...
News Suda51 Talks About No More Heroes 3, 3DS Game Ideas and More
Find out what qualities are important to him as a game designer
When you have an unorthodox game designer like Goichi Suda and a wonder machine like the 3DS that's sure to ignite a few sparks in developers' creative minds, we as consumers could very well be in for a treat. The CEO at Grasshopper Manufacture, more commonly known as Suda51, recently...
News Flash Back with a Zapper in Retro City Rampage
Vblank Entertainment's parodic action game pays homage to the iconic Nintendo light gun
It's not uncommon for characters and items from one franchise to appear in another by the same developer, but when homage is paid to an unrelated series or item, there's an extra sense of joy in recognising the proverbial nod of the head. Vblank Entertainment's...
News An Astro Bugz Revenge Trailer Crawls Out of the Woodwork
Sudden Games' puzzler looks to be a blast
Back in March earlier this year, we were fortunate enough to play an early build of Astro Bugz Revenge, an adaptation of the iPhone puzzler that Sudden Games is bringing over to the Wii Shop Channel. With the latest trailer available for all to check out, the game should get its North American release date...
Competition And Yet It Moves Competition Winners
Drumroll please...
Last week we ran a cheeky little competition to let 10 lucky North American readers win a copy of And Yet It Moves on WiiWare. This is a game so good we awarded it an impressive 9/10 in our recent review. Everyone likes a freebie, and competition here was fierce. We had 330 entries! However only 10 could win, so we punched the...
Nintendo Download 14th & 15th September 2010 (Japan)
Another triple threat for Japan next week: BIT.TRIP, VCA and DSiWare
WiiWare: BIT.TRIP RUNNER: Rhythm Alien no Geki Sō (500 Points, Arc System Works) — A lot of Japanese Wii owners are going to be happy next week as BIT.TRIP RUNNER finally arrives in Japan. The fact that the price is the same 500 Points as the rest of the series kind of makes up...
Nintendo Download 10th September (Europe)
More catching up
There's only one real surprise this week, and it probably won't be a pleasant one for most people, as it comes in the form of a new highest price for a WiiWare game. That particular game's also one of only two truly new titles this week, with every single other one already being released in North America and all but one of those...
News XGen Studios Readying Machinarium and Super Motherload for WiiWare
Double-whammy on the way
XGen Studios' last WiiWare title, Defend Your Castle, seems like a long time ago now, but it won't be long before it's gracing our Shop Channel again as it's bringing two titles to WiiWare in the coming months. The first is a collaboration with Amanita Design to bring to WiiWare the highly-regarded PC puzzle-adventure...
News Practise Your Balancing with PHYSIO FUN Tomorrow
2,000 Wii Points for helpful software
Kaasa is clearly the place to be when it comes to WiiWare firsts. As well as bringing the service its first pelvic floor exercise game, tomorrow the company launches PHYSIO FUN Balance Training as an alternative to lengthy rehabilitation programmes. Kaasa's tests have included a soft foam surrounding for the...
Review Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner" (WiiWare)
A cowpoke past his prime
Fenimore Fillmore lives by the gun, namely Chekhov's Gun – the assertion that if in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. In Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner", this trope surely rings true, as most of the seemingly insignificant items you encounter...
